About HRSCC

HRSCC is a full-service youth competitive chess program that includes ability group-based training from beginner to advanced, tournament games every week, and a fun competitive online weekly tournament on the side.  Founded in February 2014, HRSCC has trained hundreds of kids in the foundations of chess, given them hands-on tournament experience, and provided all the guidance and support they need to take their game as far as they want to go, from being the best casual player on the block to becoming a National Master.  Many of our HRSCC “graduates” are still playing competitively at an advanced level.

Is HRSCC a high-pressure competitive program? 

NO, but our results might make some people think so! HRSCC is part of Hampton Roads Chess Association, a 501(c)(3) with a mission of bringing the life benefits of chess to people of all ages and abilities throughout our region.  Studies show that the greatest life and academic benefits accrue from systematic study and structured tournament play, and this is an integral part of our program.

HRSCC uses a system of FUN incentives to encourage kids to study and practice outside of club, and to participate in tournaments outside of club.  Kids are recognized and rewarded for hard work, regardless of the outcome.  

Our driving philosophy is to ignite a passion and love for the game of chess that will burn brightly and motivate the kids to put in the work and improve.  We never pressure kids to win, and we emphasize that we never “lose” — we only “learn.”  We encourage families to partner with us in this approach to maximize student success.

What if my child isn’t ready for competition?  

• New students ages 4-6 should register for Guppy Chess.  As students grow and become ready, we can discuss transferring to HRSCC. 
  
• It is a prerequisite that kids know how the pieces move and can play a complete game of chess (no matter how poorly) in order to join HRSCC.  
  
  • New students ages 7 and up with no chess background are required to take one beginner chess course outside of HRSCC prior to joining the club.  We offer introductory chess classes and camps with community partners in Virginia Beach (Kempsville Recreation Center) and Norfolk (Slover Library), with plans to develop partnerships in other cities soon. 
    
  • With this prerequisite met, all students will immediately begin competing in tournaments. 
    
• We have a separate division/section JUST for beginners in our “Minnows” ability group. They will NOT play more experienced kids, and tournament directors are on hand to answer questions and help the students understand and apply the rules. 
  
• New students who pass a basic assessment may be placed in our “Rockfish” ability group. They will participate in the “Rockfish Rookie” section of our tournaments each week while they continue to train and prepare to become “rated” players with US Chess. 
  
• We will work with families to determine a child’s readiness to move up to higher levels based on chess skill and emotional maturity.  Every child at HRSCC moves at their own pace, and there is never any pressure to move up too quickly.  It is not unusual for some students to spend a year or more in our Rookie levels, while other students move through ability groups at a much quicker pace.
  
• The best way to prepare for rated tournament play is to play in a “Rookie” section, which is exactly like the rated sections, but the results are not reported to US Chess for rating.  This is great training ground for the kids. We also offer Rookie Training Workshops and Tournaments!

Where/ When does HRSCC meet?

King’s Grant Presbyterian Church – 745 Little Neck Road, Virginia Beach.

HRSCC meets on Tuesday nights from 5:00-7:00/7:15 PM beginning September 3rd and running through the school year.  Check-in begins at 5 PM, but students may arrive as late as 5:30 PM if necessary.  Parents should be back on site no later than 6:45 PM for pickup.  A few games may last as late as 7:15 PM.

Due to the complexity of coaching groups of children by ability and the variety in our weekly tournament schedule, there are only certain dates we can roll new members into HRSCC.  After initial fall enrollment, we will post the next entry date here.

What a Typical Club Night Looks Like?

Check-in begins at 5 PM and runs through 5:30 PM.  We encourage students to arrive as early as possible so they can get to class in time for some extra training with their coach.  Coaches will hold off beginning the formal lesson for the week until most or all of their students have arrived, but not later than 5:30 PM. 

Formal tournament events begin at 6 PM and generally end by 7 PM. 

The start and end times will remain the same each week.  For nights when we run a longer tournament, students will not have classes before the tournament portion. A high-quality playground and covered pavilion are available right outside the playing hall doors. Children are encouraged to play outside (with supervision) if they have wait time between segments of the night. 

If we have volunteers to run it, we are looking to reimplement our club Ladder in the fall. The Ladder is described more in the HRSCC handbook.

HRSCC Schedules

Enrolled students will received a full schedule. Schedules are also available in your Parent Portal under class RESOURCES.

Students will receive a minimum of 20 classes during the school year.  Some weeks (usually close to holidays) will have club virtually on ChessKid.com. 

Updates and changes to schedules are shared in our weekly newsletter and on our website. *Please note that our Parent Portal Calendar does not currently support customized class schedules, so this calendar may show as having meetings when we are actually closed or having virtual class. The newsletter and website are the best places to check for schedules.

Parents should notify HRCA of any absences in advance via our Parent Portal to help us plan accordingly.

Curriculum

Coaches have the discretion to teach whatever material is appropriate for the ability group they are teaching and based on an initial assessment of their students.  HRCA coaches have a variety of experience teaching different chess curriculums and use a combination of different resources.

All HRSCC students receive ChessKid Gold accounts. ChessKid is the premier online chess resource for kids, and we strongly incentivize our students to use their accounts at home for study and practice.

HRSCC Coaches

Our coaches are all certified by US Chess and have passed a background check through HRCA.  They are experienced and knowledgable and are all seasoned chess players. We take great care in assigning the right coach to the right group at HRSCC! We also have volunteer Assistant Coaches, who are usually teenagers or parents with chess knowledge that have also met our background check requirements. They do not lead the class, but are there to offer extra support to our students!

Learn more about our coaches at: https://www.hrchessclub.org/about-hrca/

Other Important Information

You are welcome to drop your child off and return to pick them up by 7:00, but you MUST remain available at the phone number you enter for emergency contact during registration. 

You may choose to stay on site during club. There is space in the outdoor pavilion or in limited indoor areas while students are in class. Better yet, please considering volunteering during club!

Can I volunteer at HRSCC?

 
Yes, Please!  We encourage parents or other family members to volunteer at the club weekly. We need help with anything from setup or cleanup, to hall or classroom monitoring, to check-in or scorekeeping, to running concessions or the HRSCC chess store.  Adults without a child in the program must pass a background check to volunteer with HRSCC.  You can also become a certified Club Tournament Director to help at our events — ask us how!

HRCA is a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award.  This is a great way for us to recognize our volunteers annually!    

If you are interested in volunteering at HRSCC or other HRCA programs, please visit our Volunteer page to complete our volunteer application.

Costs

Annual Registration Fee: All HRSCC students pay a non-refundable annual registration fee of $25 upon enrollment.  We only charge this fee once a year (Sep-Aug), across all HRCA programs.  
Annual Registration includes student HRCA membership and a ChessKid Gold subscription – a $70 value! 

Tuition: HRSCC tuition is a flat monthly fee of $85 per student. HRSCC is a full school-year program, but we do accept rolling admissions through winter.

Tuition is all-inclusive: Monthly tuition represents a total program cost evenly spread across nine months from September to May.  We do not prorate in months with fewer in-person meetings.  This tuition is all-inclusive — students will not pay extra for entry fees for Tuesday night tournaments, awards, curriculum, or any other expenses associated with their participation in HRSCC.  While our year-end award ceremony will take place in June, no tuition is due for June. 

Please note that weekend tournaments, optional workshops, camps, and club apparel/merchandise, etc. are not required and have a separate cost and registration.

Autopay: HRCA requires autopay for tuition.  We will charge your non-refundable Annual Registration Fee of $25 to the account on file within 72 hours of enrollment. We will post tuition to your Parent/Student Portal approximately one week before payment is due.   To avoid autopay, you may log into your Parent/Student Portal and make your own payment early.  Otherwise, HRCA will process payments on the first of each month that tuition is due, beginning in September. Payments will be processed upon enrollment for students who register AFTER the 1st of the month.

Multi-Sibling Discounts: Families with 3 or more siblings in our core chess programs are eligible for multi-sibling discounts and a family cap of $225/month.    

Scholarship Families: We only charge scholarship families for their Annual Registration Fee and co-pay amount.  

Withdrawals: It is important that you notify us as soon as possible if you need to withdraw. Please reach out to us first at hrca@hrchessclub.org to see if we can find a different accommodation.  Withdrawal notification is required no later than the 15th of the month (or 2 weeks notice) for the month ahead.  

Failing to notify HRCA after the 15th will result in your account being charged if you are on a monthly billing or payment plan.   There are no refunds for missed sessions or failure to notify HRCA. 


Please refer to HRCA’s Billing and Payment Policy in your Parent Portal for more info, including our refund processes.

Financial Assistance & Registration

 HRCA works hard to ensure that our tuition and fees are among the lowest of educational and sports offerings, while providing quality staff and programming.   We have limited financial assistance available — including scholarships and waivers–reserved for students with true financial need.   Free payment plan requests are available to all families upon request.

If this applies to you, or you just need a free monthly payment plan for tuition, please complete our  Financial Assistance Application HERE.  

Needs-based financial aid may be available through our Joan H. Schlich Memorial Scholarship Fund.  This fund is completely donor-supported so awards are subject to limited availability. We do strive to turn no child away for inability to pay. We do not charge your account until your scholarship application is approved and a co-pay is determined.

The deadline for Fall session scholarship applications was August 18th.

HRSCC is still open for registration through mid-January.